Published: May 13, 2008

Returning to the Classroom

Is it true you can’t go back? I’m about to find out.

Six years ago, after a 26-year career as a classroom teacher, I opted to become a middle school literacy coach in the Los Angeles public school system. It was a stimulating career change in many ways. For the first time I had some breathing room. I was able to gaze out beyond the four walls of my classroom and the immediate needs of my own students and examine the educational world at large.

In my role as a supporter of other teachers, I’ve had the opportunity to immerse myself in the “best practice” literature and to carry out action research. Much to my delight, I’ve learned that many of the instructional practices I figured out along the way have been judged effective by education researchers. And they actually have names: constructivist, performance-based, inquiry-based, active learning,...